1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to respiratory therapies. More particularly, the disclosure generally relates to a method and system for high frequency upper chest wall oscillation therapy.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Subjects who are unable to mobilize their own lung secretions without assistance (subjects with, for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)) are exceedingly common, which together account for over 1 million hospitalizations each year in the United States alone. Beta agonists, anti-cholinergics, and corticosteroids delivered in aerosolized forms are recommended in the treatment of COPD. These medications rely on deposition into distal airspaces to suppress airway inflammation or promote bronchodilation. Excessive mucous production and impaired airway mucociliary clearance can lead to airway plugging, and thereby reduce the deposition of and response to aerosolized medications. These considerations highlight the need for therapies that clear airways of mucus in the acute management of diseases such as cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis (and other severe form of COPD), and certain neuromuscular diseases.
Manual percussion techniques of chest physiotherapy have been used for a variety of diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis, to remove excess mucus that collects in the lungs. To bypass dependency on a caregiver to provide this therapy, chest compression and oscillation devices have been developed to produce High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO), a very successful method of airway clearance. High frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) creates high velocity, low amplitude oscillation energy when applied through a vest worn over the thorax, and is used for airway mucus clearance in patients with cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and neuromuscular disorders. Studies in patients with cystic fibrosis suggest that HFCWO applied via a vest is as effective as other modes of airway mucus clearance, including hand-held devices (e.g., flutter devices) and conventional chest physiotherapy. HFCWO offers the advantage that it can be performed in acutely ill patients who may be unable to use hand-held devices effectively, such as early in the course of hospitalization. Moreover, HFCWO can be performed without the assistance from trained health care personnel, and may therefore offer a practical advantage compared to chest physiotherapy.
Professional healthcare environments are required to constantly be vigilant regarding sanitation and cross contamination between patients. To this end medical equipment must be sanitized before being used again. However, sanitizing equipment is typically time consuming and/or expensive. As such much of the equipment used in healthcare environments which comes into direct contact with subjects is disposable (or covered by disposable sheaths). It is typically much easier and/or less expensive to throw away equipment which comes into contact with subjects as opposed to cleaning the equipment.
As such, it may advantageous to form a wearable HFCWO system with one or more disposable portions.